The Kill Ring
by BelleBasBleue
Summary: This was the moment where Hiccup would give it all away. His family, his tribe, and even his best friend. What would this scene be like from Astrid's perspecive? One-shot.


**Hi readers. Here is a very short clip that I felt like writing about from the 1** **st** **movie. Hope you guys like it and feel free to tell me what you did and didn't like about this one-shot.**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything

"Just promise me it won't go wrong." Hiccup gave me an apologetic look as Gobber came around the corner telling Hiccup it was time. Just then I noticed a large helmet in Hiccup's hands that he was putting on. I never knew he had one.

Hiccup hunched his shoulders as he stepped into the light inside the Kill Ring. I was never a girly girl. I was never interested in hugging, flowers, or anything of the sort, but as Hiccup stood there looking so small I just wanted to hold him tight.

Gobber pulled down the gate in front of me and went to stand next to Hiccup's father. The hollers and cat-calls from the audience were deafening, but I barely heard them. I watched silently as Hiccup shakily walked to where the weapons were hung and selected a small dagger and shield. A voice cut through the audience; "I would have gone with the hammer." _Is this what Vikings think of this? A game?_ I was shocked at how unperturbed Stoick was. Wasn't he just a little worried for his only son?

I saw Hiccup take a deep breath and confidently spoke, "I'm ready." The whole world stood still as the dragon gate creaked open and the Monstrous Nightmare burst out. It was the fiercest Nightmare that I had seen in a while. Every year there would be new recruits for Dragon Training, and every year there would be one Viking who would kill a Monstrous Nightmare. I had gotten to watch all of them along with the rest of my friends. We had all been waiting for our chance, but this time I didn't feel the anticipation.

Hiccup stood still and calm, but with wide eyes as the Nightmare scuttled around the ring coated in its own fire. Vikings around the outside of the ring looked eagerly down at the game shouting random advice to Hiccup. All of a sudden Hiccup dropped his knife and shield and started backing up. "He's going to get himself killed," I whispered to myself, but I could just see what his plan was. Hiccup extended both of his hands towards the snout of the dragon whispering encouraging words to it, trying to keep it calm. The Monstrous Nightmare calmed down a bit and started following Hiccup.

Then Hiccup stopped. In slow motion I saw Hiccup look up at his father and hold the gaze with his own strong one. Like a child touching the hot stove when told not to, Hiccup reached up for his helmet and slowly, agonizingly slow, took it off. Giving his father one more hard look, he quietly said, "I'm not one of them." His words sounded like they were supposed to be said to the dragon, but I could tell Hiccup meant to say every word to his father.

A collective gasp rumbled through the crowd. "Stop the fight." Stoick rose from his seat and looked down on his son.

"NO! I need you to see this." Hiccup ignored Stoick and reached out his hand to the dragon again. "They're not what we think they are. We don't have to kill them." The dragon was leaning his nose in towards Hiccup's palm and for a second I thought things were going to change; the Vikings can learn. But the thought vanished before it got lodged somewhere. Stoick jumped from his seat and raced towards the bars of the kill ring with his hammer and screamed, "I SAID STOP THE FIGHT!" _Idiot._

The Monstrous Nightmare shot from his calm state and jumped into his protective mode and snapped at Hiccup's hand. Hiccup pulled his hand back in time and ran far away from the Nightmare, but the dragon followed him spreading fire everywhere.

"Hiccup!" I yelled, leaning my head out of the gate bars trying to break through them. I watched helplessly as I saw Hiccup run around the arena with the Monstrous Nightmare on his tail. I looked savagely around me, trying to find some way to get to Hiccup and help him. _Why did I forget my axe at home?_ I asked myself.

I spied a one-bladed axe hung on the wall behind me. It hung at a slightly higher height than me. I stretched out my hand to grab it, but it was too far away. A blast of heat and a large clang from the arena made my movements more urgent, but the blade was still too far out of my reach. With one final jump, I grabbed the handle and jammed it between the gate and the slippery concrete floor. Hearing another crash from inside the arena I heaved all my weight onto the axe creating a crack just large enough for a young teen to slide through. I threw myself on the ground and pushed myself under the gate. Nearly out, my skirt got caught on the cracks in the floor and stopped my progress. I stole a glance up at the fight and realized there was no time left to worry about a skirt. I had to save the person that had put all his trust on me in less than an hour and who I trusted in turn. The other option was to watch my friend die as I fretted about a tiny hole in my skirt. The answer was obvious to me.

I pulled free of the gate and stood at the other side ready for action. "Hiccup!" I watched for a second recognizing the Nightmare's movement, then I rushed to the now crushed wall of weapons. I quickly picked up a large hammer and threw it at the Nightmare's head. Thank the gods it knocked it off course... _but now it's after me. Great. Didn't think about that._ I started to dash around the arena like Hiccup had only moments ago. I heard the gate to my right pull up and Stoick yelled from within. "Over here!" I ran alongside Hiccup towards his dad, but Hiccup didn't make it. Just as Stoick lifted (literally lifted me) out of the way, the Monstrous Nightmare caught up, and Hiccup had to make a detour. A spray of fire splashed into the gateway where Stoick and I were. Stoick shielded me with his body. The next time I looked up, my heart plummeted. Hiccup was cornered on the ground. I heard Stoick behind me take an intake of breath, and I realized how much he did love his son.

A high pitched noise filled the air, but before I could locate where and what it was, my vision was clouded and a wave of heat hit my body. Both Stoick and I coughed as the air cleared and we both saw a Night Fury. To be specific, Toothless. Beside me Stoick whispered with vengeance in his voice, "Night Fury." Toothless was now on the ground with the Monstrous Nightmare on top of him, and I heard an awful crack that came from the Nightmare as Toothless snapped its neck. I had seen how close Hiccup and Toothless were, but I was still awed as Toothless spread his wings and stood in front of Hiccup, protecting him. As Toothless let out a roar, the Monstrous Nightmare skittled away almost abashed at its behavior.

 _Ok, everything's fine again._ I breathed a sigh of relief now that Hiccup was safe, but it was cut short. Vikings were now jumping down into the ring with their axes and maces, shields and cross bows. Stoick grabbed an axe next to me and hurtled himself into the ring. "Stoick NO!" I tried to stop the chief, but I was too late. I watched in silence as Toothless jumped on top of Stoick and opened his mouth and started to fire only to be stopped by Hiccup. The look that Hiccup and Toothless shared in that one moment seemed to grab my heart and squeeze. Hiccup looked so betrayed and lost as Toothless' pleading and sad eyes stared up at him. Then the moment was gone. The feeling of horror crawled its way through my veins as Vikings tethered Toothless down. I ran out to Hiccup and caught him as he struggled to get to Toothless. I couldn't let anyone else get hurt, or in this case, more hurt. I restrained Hiccup as he told everyone that Toothless wouldn't; couldn't hurt anyone. He pleaded and pleaded.

I looked up at Stoick and almost saw a change in his eyes as he ordered Toothless to be put with the other dragons. Then that look was gone. Hiccup had stopped yelling and had stopped moving as much, but I still heard him whimpering and I still felt his little movements. Stoick pounded over to us and grabbed Hiccup out of my arms and hauled him off to who knows where. And I just stood there until the ring emptied, which wasn't long. Then when the coast was clear, I crept over to Toothless' cage.

Toothless was curled up in a corner of his cage with a muzzle and ropes across him. He perked up just a little bit as he heard my light footsteps. "Hey Toothless" I whispered. He just turned his head a little bit and warbled. There was a silence between us as we stared at each other. "I'm so sorry… but I promise that I can make this better." I lightly pounded my fist on the iron gate. "I _promise_ that things will come out right. I _promise._ " It was a heavy promise, but I knew that it would happen, I just had a feeling.


End file.
